Walk 238: Deenethorpe…another World War II story to tell

The ‘Needs to Know’

Distance: 5.8 miles (9.4km)

Time to walk: Roughly 2.5 hours

Difficulty: Fairly flat. Some quiet road walking so please be careful.

Dog Friendly?: No stiles & may need to be on lead at times

Parking: Carefully & considerately on the street near The Green in Deenethorpe

Public toilets: None

Map of the route:

Deenethorpe is a village situated north-east of Corby & near the A43 road between Corby & Stamford. It’s ‘sister’ village, Deene is on the opposite side of the road

The name means ‘Outlying farmstead or secondary settlement dependent on Deene’. The village dates back to medieval times & the mounds of the old village can be seen near the Benefield Road. The Manor lies in nearby Deene Park

The Church of St Peter, over the road, in Deene dates back to the 12th century, but was extensively restored in 1868 by Lady Adeline Cardigan in memory of her Husband, James. He was the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who was famous for his part in the Battle of Balaclava & the Charge of the Light Brigade. The house in Deene Park, contains the stuffed head of ‘Ronald’, the horse which he rode into battle

‘Lady Adeline lived at Deene until 1915 & was remembered as being rather eccentric. She wanted to be remembered as a beautiful woman so, when the Earl died, although she was young & outlived him by 46 years, she had her death mask made at the same time. She kept her coffin in the house & would lie in it & ask people how she looked. She was also often seen cycling around the village in the Earl’s regimental trousers’ (@The Northamptonshire Village Book’)

During World War II, the fields to the north were transformed into Deenethorpe Airfield, a base for the United States Army Air Forces’ 401st Bombardment Group

From here B-17 Flying Fortresses took to the skies on missions over occupied Europe, & traces of the wartime infrastructure can still be found in the landscape. We’ll look at this in more detail on the walk itself

Once again, many thanks to 003.5 for legging this one for me

Let’s Walk!

1. This Walk starts at the village green. With the post-box behind you, turn left & head up the hill on the Benefield Road towards Oundle…

Follow the road careful as the cars do move quite quickly on the odd occasion

2. On reaching the footpath sign in the picture below turn left & keep the hedge on your right…

On reaching the yellow post head diagonally right to a further post in the distance

3. This is a well marked path so now head diagonally left towards a further yellow post in the tree line in the distance…

At the yellow marker in the picture below DO NOT go through the gap, instead head right along the bridleway

4. Follow the bridleway up the hill towards the woods…

Continue straight ahead as you head to the farm buildings at the top of the hill

5. It’s always good when the path is clear & there’s a nice track to walk along…

Keep following the bridleway all the way to the farm buildings

6. At the buildings the path is very clear as you head right with the trees on your left…

…& then turn right at the junction in the picture below

7. Keep following the track as you head towards the road…

On reaching the wood turn right

8. At the very corner of the wood look for the small gate on the left in the picture below…

Leave the road here & enter the fields. Follow the bridleway & keep the woods on your right. Again this is a nice east route to follow

9. Don’t enter the woods. Just continue past the gap & remain in the same forward direction…

On reaching the gap pass through it & walk up the hill

10. On reaching the hard track bear left as it continues through the edge of the woods…

Keep following the track as it bends to the right

11. At the junction leave the track & head directly over the field in front of you…

When you reach a further track head right up to a way marker

12. At the way marker below head diagonally across the field in the direction of the arrow…

Eventually you’ll arrive a gate. Go through it & head directly opposite

13. On your right now you get your first real look at the airfield which was once RAF Deenethorpe…

Deenethorpe was constructed in 1943 & was allocated to the US Army Air Forces 8th Air Force. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 128. With the opening of the airfield in October 1943, the 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrived from Great Falls AAB, Montana, in November. The 401st was assigned to the 94th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-S

The 401st Bomb Group consisted of the several operational squadrons flying Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress & operated chiefly against strategic targets, bombing industries, submarine facilities, shipyards, missile sites, marshalling yards, & airfields

The Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for striking telling blows against German aircraft production on 11 January & 20 February 1944

In addition to strategic missions, group operations included attacks on transportation, airfields, & fortifications prior to the Normandy invasion & on D-Day, June 1944; support for ground operations during the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July, the siege of Brest in August, & the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September 1944

The Group flew missions against enemy forces during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 – January 1945, by assaulting transportation targets & communications centres in the battle area; & support for the airborne attack across the Rhine in March 1945

The worst accident occurred on 5 December 1943 when a Fortress which failed to get off the ground careered over farmland & came to rest after crashing into a cottage on the edge of Deenethorpe village

The surviving members of the crew just had time to evacuate the wreckage & warn the villagers of the imminent explosion of the 6000lb bomb load & 2000 gallons of fuel before it detonated damaging many houses in the village

The blast was felt in Kettering nine miles away

@northantstelegraph

After VE Day, the group departed from Deenethorpe in August 1945 & returned to Sioux Falls AAF where the unit was inactivated, personnel demobilised & B-17 aircraft sent to storage

The 401st Bombardment Group had flown 255 combat missions from Deenethorpe airfield

14. Walk through the gate & head down the track opposite towards the sound of the road…